Judges 21:5

_AND SAID, O LORD GOD OF ISRAEL, WHY IS THIS COME TO PASS IN ISRAEL, THAT THERE SHOULD BE TO DAY ONE TRIBE LACKING IN ISRAEL?_ No JFB commentary on these verses....

AND THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL SAID,.... One to another, after they had offered their sacrifices, and while they were together in Shiloh: WHO IS THERE AMONG ALL THE TRIBES OF ISRAEL, THAT CAME NOT UP WITH THE CONGREGATION UNTO THE LORD? when they were summoned to come to Mizpeh, to consult together about the affair of the Levite's concubine, as appears by what follows: FOR THEY HAD MADE A GREAT OATH; in a very awful and solemn manner, with a curse annexed to it, as that about not giving a wife to Benjamin, Judges 21:18 CONCERNING HIM THAT CAME NOT UP TO THE LORD TO MIZPEH: not about him who did not go out to battle against Benjamin, nor about every individual that did not come to consult about it; but every city that did not send their proper representatives or quota to assist in that affair: he shall surely

CHAPTER 21 THE REPENTANCE ABOUT BENJAMIN _ 1. Sorrow of the people and Jabesh-Gilead smitten (Judges 21:1)_ 2. The restoration of Benjamin (Judges 21:16) A tribe of the nation was almost entirely exterminated. Then the oath they had made not to give their daughters to wife to the Benjamites left assured the complete extinction of the tribe. The dreadful work they had done dawned suddenly upon them and weeping before Jehovah they said, “Why is this come to pass in Israel that there should be today one tribe lacking in Israel?” The answer surely was, it came to pass on account of their departure from God and their sins. Thus people ask when they behold the scenes of bloodshed and war, as we see in our times, why is this? and are even ready to blame God, instead of thinking of sin and

JUDES 21. BENJAMIN SAVED FROM EXTINCTION. Two versions of this story have been editorially combined. The second is evidently the older. It was stated that the children of Israel came together as one man (Judges 20:1; Judges 20:11), but it now appears that Jabesh-gilead, the city that was so loyal to Saul the Benjamite (1 Samuel 11:1 f; 1 Samuel 31:11 f., 2 Samuel 2:5 f; 2 Samuel 21:12 f.), did not send a single man to fight against Benjamin. For this sin, all the inhabi

CHILDREN. sons. CONGREGATION. military assembly....

The first half of the _v._anticipates Judges 21:8; while the second half is awkwardly expressed (lit. -the great oath was in respect of him that came not up" etc.). Like the previous _v._, this can only be regarded as a later addition; together they interrupt the natural connexion between Judges 21:3_; Judges 21:6. to Mizpah_was no doubt intended to harmonize with Judges 21:1; the people are at Beth-el according to Judges 21:2....

FOR THEY HAD MADE A GREAT OATH— See what has been said of this oath or anathema in the last note on the 19th chapter....

_Mourning for Benjamin Judges 21:1-7_ Now the men of Israel had sworn in Mizpeh, saying, There shall not any of us give his daughter unto Benjamin to wife. 2 And the people came to the house of God, and abode there till even before God, and lifted up their voices, and wept sore; 3 And said, O Lord God of Israel, why is this come to pass in Israel, that there should be today one tribe lacking in Israel? 4 And it came to pass on the morrow, that the people rose early, and built there an altar, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. 5 And the children of Israel said, Who is there among all the tribes of Israel that came not up with the congregation unto the Lord? For they had made a great oath concerning him that came not up to the Lord to Mizpeh, saying, He shall surely be put to death, 6 And the children of Israel repented them for Benjamin their brother, and sa

THE MIGRATIONS OF THE DANITES, AND THE FEUD BETWEEN BENJAMIN AND THE OTHER TRIBES (JUDGES 17-21) This concluding section is really an appendix. Instead of describing a further deliverance, it recounts two tribal stories m which the rough manners and primitive religious ideas of the time are shown with most valuable and vivid detail. Redundancies and discrepancies in the narratives (see on Judges 17:3; Judges 18:17) as well as differences in the language, suggest that more than one account has been used in each of the stories. This is no sign, however, that they are not historical; and they must probably be placed earlier rather than later in the general framework of the period. WIVES ARE GIVEN TO THE BENJAMITE SURVIVORS 1-6. The lamentation for Benjamin....

LIFE WITHOUT LAW JUDGES _PHILIP SMITH_ CHAPTER 21 V1 *Israel’s men had made this serious promise to the *Lord at Mizpah. ‘We will not allow our daughters to marry a man from Benjamin’s *tribe.’ V2 The people went to Bethel. They sat where God was. They sat there until evening. They were weeping very much. V3 They said this. ‘*Lord God of *Israel’s people, this should not have happened to *Israel’s people. Now one *tribe in *Israel has almost gone.’ V4 Early next morning, the people built an *altar and they offered *burnt offerings and *peace offerings. V5 Then they asked this. ‘Which group from all *Israel’s *tribes did not meet where God was?’ They had seriously promised to kill anyone that did not go to Mizpah. V6 Now the *Israelites were sorry for their brothers,